The Keck Observatory

More cool, this time from Hawaii. The telescopes of the W.M. Keck Observatory, located near the summit of Mauna Kea, combine to form the largest observable telescope in the world. Each of the primary mirrors is composed of 36 hexagonal segments that work together as a single unit, and the two primary mirrors can work together as a single astronomical interferometer. How much observational power does all this amount to? Here’s a single fact: the Near Infrared Camera for the Keck I telescope is so sensitive it could detect the equivalent of a single candle flame on the Moon. Chew them beans. RT